Slow travel: how to plan a relaxed trip

Plan one main thing each day

Pick the one thing you would be most disappointed to miss each day: a garden, a museum, a coastal walk or a long lunch. Plan the day around it and treat everything else as optional.

Build in time for getting there, a rest in the afternoon and an early evening. A trip with fewer stops tends to leave more room for the moments you remember.

Choose where to stay

Stay close to what you plan to do most, even if it costs a little more. A short walk or one bus ride each day is easier than long transfers.

Staying several nights in one place means unpacking once. Repeating a favorite café or walk can become part of the pleasure of the trip.

Check access before you book

Photos rarely show hills, steps or the distance from the station. Look up walking routes on a map, ask your accommodation about stairs and elevators, and check opening hours and transport.

For US national parks, each park’s website lists its accessible features, programs and services, which you can check by park before you go.

• Distance and gradient from accommodation to the places you plan to visit.
• Stairs, elevators and seating at stations, hotels and attractions.
• Public transport routes, timetables and step-free access.
• Opening days and hours, including seasonal closures.

Passes for travelers 62 and over

US citizens and permanent residents aged 62 or older are eligible for the America the Beautiful Senior Pass. The Senior Lifetime Pass costs $80 and the Senior Annual Pass costs $20. Many park sites have no entrance fee at all: the Park Service notes that fewer than a quarter of its more than 400 sites charge one.

Pack for the trip you planned

Pack for the weather and the walking you actually plan to do: comfortable shoes you have already worn in, a light layer, any medications in your carry-on, and a copy of your itinerary and bookings on paper as well as on your phone.